More Hiring Planned in Next 12 Months

{Click here to read the original article on Science.}

A survey of hiring managers in the United States suggests that there will be more employment opportunities in the next year, with technology jobs among the first to recover once the economy turns around.

This year’s Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) report, from staffing consultant Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.Com, says more than half (53%) of the respondents expect to hire full-time employees over the next 12 months. The report cites technology, customer-service, and sales as the departments that will add positions once economic conditions start improving. Currently, employers are first looking for staff in sales, customer service, and marketing; technology jobs are likely to follow.

The EDGE report indicates employers will focus on working-level rather than management jobs. About a third (32%) plan to hire professional staff and almost that number (28%) intend to add entry-level workers. In their hiring, employers plan to look particularly for candidates with initiative, problem-solving creativity, and multi-tasking abilities.

Employment opportunities should also increase for temporary and part-time staff. Some 4 in 10 (40%) hiring managers anticipate hiring contract, project, and temporary workers in the next 12 months. About the same number (39%) expect to hire part-time staff. Only about a quarter (23%) of employers have no hiring plans in the next year. Nearly half (44%) expect the 2009 stimulus bill — officially, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — to create job opportunities in their organizations over the next 2 years.

Also surveyed were people already in full-time jobs. About 9 in 10 said they were satisfied with their current work situation, but nearly half (45%) expressed an interest in changing jobs once the economy improves. The survey asked employees about the factors that would keep them at their current employers and, not surprisingly, the factor cited most often was salary (49%). Another 20% chose benefits and perks. Among the on-the-job perks considered most important to employees were technology upgrades (79%) and tuition or training subsidies (61%)

The survey for the report was conducted by telephone with 500 hiring managers and 500 full-time employees in April and May 2009.